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Grit can be an issue with any new mortar and pestle, but seasoning solves the problem. It’s done by repeatedly grinding grains of raw rice in the mortar until the resulting powder is white and grit-free.

To determine exactly how much grinding is necessary, we ground 3 tablespoons of raw white rice in a brand-new granite mortar until it was reduced to a fine powder (about eight minutes). We repeated this process two more times, until the powder was nearly as white as a control batch ground in an electric spice grinder. We then tasted guacamole that we pulverized with the tool, and its smooth consistency was further proof that the mortar was grit-free.

The oils in dried chiles can cling to a spice grinder, even after you’ve wiped it with a brush or cloth. Since most grinders can’t be immersed in water, we developed a method to “dry-clean” ours.

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